What you learn in your youth, you master in your old age
The Famous Five. Mother often read those to us as bedtime stories. Reading books wasn’t an everyday occurrence, but ever since I was a baby, shared bedtime stories punctuated most evenings of my childhood. We had our own books, too, but often books were fetched from the quiet local library, where some time was also spent wandering aimlessly between the shelves. Back in the 90s, every home also had bookshelves, all of which were groaning with those same Reader’s Digest nature, knowledge, and home doctor books. Sometimes, when I was bored, I browsed through those too.
For me, reading and exploring books was already a way as a child to satisfy my endless curiosity. As a school-aged child, I hardly read novels, but if I wanted to learn jig fishing, I would cycle straight to the library to get all the non-fiction books related to the topic.
As a slightly older schoolkid, evenings rarely ended with reading anymore, but rather with cleaning a moped carburetor, planning a new weightlifting routine, or watching a mediocre American crime series.
When I was writing my high school courses, my course credits for my native language were almost left incomplete. I had attended the courses, but as coursework, I should have read painfully boring domestic folk literature as a basis for various writing assignments. Everything fell behind.
I negotiated a deal with an understanding native language teacher, thanks to which I could choose the books completely freely and write multiple different course texts about the same book. I read Tony “The Viking” Halme and The Diary of a Drunken Fool (Juoppohullun päiväkirjat). Those weren’t read in the evening either, but in the back row of high school classes while giggling. However, I managed to write the texts and wrap up the courses, and I was “more cultured” by a few read books again.
As a teen and even as a young adult, I was anything but a bookworm.
After high school, I continued on the path of minimal reading. On some backpacking trip to Asia, I might read a Jarkko Sipilä crime thriller or two, but otherwise, reading was primarily focused on entrance exams. My childhood enthusiasm for reading returned momentarily during entrance exam projects, and I occasionally found myself voluntarily and complementarily reading some books that explored the topics of the entrance exam area more deeply.
However, the final return of my enthusiasm for reading was only found towards the end of my studies, when I noticed that I was heading to various libraries several days a week to read exam books, write my master’s thesis, and look for an inspiring working environment. I went around studying in different libraries and always looked for new places in them where I sat down to do my final studies. Between working, I wandered between the shelves and read the back covers of dozens and dozens of books.
Over the past ten years or so, I have read so much that reading is definitely one of my most time-consuming and beloved hobbies. I mainly read print books borrowed from the library, although I have to order foreign books for myself. I checked that in early 2023 I have read around a dozen books, I currently have 25 books on loan, 8 on hold, 2 holds waiting for pickup, and today I also made one new acquisition suggestion to the library.
I guess I’m a bookworm and I love reading. If I had more time, I would gladly read for several hours every day, but for a person in the hustle and bustle of family life, such reading amounts are an exceptional treat usually timed for peaceful weekends.
https://twitter.com/Salkku_Mauri/status/1612747117461635075
You and reading?
I think the beginning of my story is very common among my peers. Regardless of family background, most children are read to at least sometimes. Most also visit the library fairly often. If not with their own family, then from daycare or school. And the school might even have its own library.
I think the middle part of my story is also very common among my peers. For many, the touch with reading disappears as a teenager and young adult. It is replaced by everything more interesting, faster-paced, and more exciting. Reading is not fashionable, and in fact, it seems to be quite a chronically uncool hobby among youth. And I think that for the generation younger than me, reading physical books, for example, is becoming increasingly difficult all the time. Attention spans are eroding and long-term activity becomes impossible. They just can’t.
What happens to the reading hobby, attention span, and general knowledge?
https://twitter.com/Salkku_Mauri/status/1625111872650215430
I got the idea for this thread when I decided to publish all the books I read between January and March 2023 on Twitter. The purpose of that Twitter thread was perhaps primarily to stealth-market the reading hobby and the wonderful literature available, but perhaps also to spur myself on to keep my reading hobby active, although I haven’t had any problems with its activity lately.
Personally, I am worried about people’s—and sorry young men, especially yours—reading skills, attention span, and general knowledge. Of course, I am often worried about my own reading skills, attention span, and general knowledge as well, even if I might not pass for a young man anymore. Reading is one of the best medicines I know for the decline of all the aforementioned traits.
In the book Stolen Focus (by Johann Hari), if I remember correctly, it was described that 54 percent of American men had not read a single book during the previous 12 months. In my opinion, the figure is terrifying.
This gave me the idea to ask what the situation might be on the Inderes forum. It doesn’t give anyone the right to pat themselves on the back, but the situation is not quite as catastrophic as across the pond:
**What is reading?**I have drifted into a sort of personal literary elitism myself, and I think a printed book is the most beautiful form of reading. If I were rich and libraries didn’t exist, I would build my own library.
I have certainly surrendered to a few audiobooks as well, and I don’t have anything against them per se, but I recall that research also says the memory trace of a printed book is the most effective and its impact on concentration is the most permanent. A bit like how taking notes with a pen leaves a more permanent memory trace and deeper understanding than hammering away at a keyboard.
An audiobook combined with a simple physical activity is certainly effective, but I suspect quite a few people listen to audiobooks because it so smoothly enables all kinds of simultaneous multitasking. In my opinion, this is an abuse of the audiobook’s potential and will eventually lead to negative rather than positive effects in terms of concentration. I could be wrong once again.
Personally, I listen to podcasts at 1x speed, and with audiobooks I might speed up to 1.25x because the narrators are so sleepy. Often, though, I just go for a jog listening to birdsong. Boredom, silence, and just being are underrated things.
Some time ago, a productivity book was published that talked about listening to audiobooks at double or even triple speed. At the same time, you’d be doing lunges and brushing your teeth. I can’t think of a single reason why anyone would do this. It sounds like an assault on both physical and mental health.
Besides, studies have shown that even professional “speed readers” give up a handicap in reading comprehension. Fast reading, poor reading comprehension. Calm reading, deep reading comprehension. Isn’t this just logical?
I have never read a single e-book because I don’t want to stare at screens any more than I already do. But if e-books suit you, that is only a wonderful thing.
What do we read?
Earlier this winter, I made some interesting observations about print, audio, and e-books sold in Finland. First of all, print books are sold very little these days, and the trend is sharply downward. Audiobooks, on the other hand, seem to be doing better, but the contents being consumed are “lighter.” My personal conclusion is that heavy books and actual reading are decreasing, but entertainment and listening are increasing.
People simply don’t seem to have the energy to read, or even more scarily, the ability to read. In my opinion, this trend is not very good, but opinions on this can certainly vary.
Here are some highlights from the statistics:
Although I’m not a huge fan of audiobooks, I am indeed glad that children and youth seem to be listening to audiobooks this much. I don’t know if this means they replace print books, or if audiobooks are listened to in addition to print books. I fear the worst, but hope for the best.
Adult audio format “non-fiction” is almost exclusively true crime and “celebrity worship.” This wasn’t a surprise once you’re familiar with the limited selection of domestic audiobooks, but it still makes you think a bit.
All statistics:
A Guide to Reviving Reading and Literacy
Before this turns into outright bitter pessimism, let’s look at some tools to revive the reading hobby or tips to increase reading. Reading is a habit or hobby just like any other, and it responds to practice.
May I sneak in a book recommendation? There are top-tier books on habits: James Clear’s Atomic Habits and Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit.
I can reveal a secret. People who seem disciplined are actually no more disciplined than anyone else. They just happen to have better habits. Discipline only gives you momentum for a short while, but habits can change your whole life. In other words, if you don’t want to eat junk food every day, maybe it’s time to get rid of the snack cabinet.
The following habits could work for reading, for example:
1. Read (primarily) books that interest you
No one has the energy to read books that don’t interest them. At least initially, borrow only and exclusively books that interest you and draw you in. You can sprinkle in some “useful” books or books you want to show off on social media later, but that time will come later.
2. Keep books always within arm’s reach
Humans are lazy and do what is easy. If a book is at the store or the library, you won’t end up reading it. If the book is on a bookshelf or in a closet, you won’t read it then either. But when you have a couple on the nightstand, a couple on the coffee table, and maybe even one under your pillow, you’ll surely read at least the back cover at some point just out of spite.
3. Keep alternative distractions out of reach (i.e., live in a different room than the internet)
What do you do when you have nothing to do and feel bored? Most people probably fiddle with their phone. What if you learned to live in a different room than your phone? You could also live in a different room than your computer or remote control. If you live in a studio apartment, pull the plugs from the wall, turn off your phone, and put the SIM card in the bathroom mirrored cabinet. Then go to the park to read. Extreme concentration difficulties call for extreme measures. In the screenshot below, one time-saving target.
4. Read multiple books simultaneously
Your mood and feelings change countless times during the day. Keep different books within arm’s reach and pick up the one that feels most interesting at any given moment. For difficult moments, something light and inspiring; for alert moments, something demanding and complex; for bored moments, something refreshing and stimulating.
5. Seek inspiration from libraries, book statistics, or book brochures
Nothing catching your interest? Can’t think of anything to read? Browse publishers’ websites and new release catalogs, visit different libraries, read book statistics and brochures, lose yourself in a library search engine, or browse through Amazon and secondhand bookstores.
6. Pleasure first, utility second
Reading is mostly supposed to be enjoyable. Of course, you can optimize the benefits of reading too, but often optimization and the pursuit of utility kill the interest in almost any activity. It may be that reading about repairing an accordion isn’t useful in your life, but if you enjoy reading it, that is already more than enough. Occasionally, of course, you can also read specifically because you want to learn something useful that might not interest you all that much, but in that case, it’s worth noting that it’s perhaps more like studying than reading.
7. Practice makes master
A person becomes good at what they do. Whether it’s sipping an evening beer, making investment memes, mental arithmetic, or reading a book. Practice the things you want to be good at.
Bonus tip:
If you’re not interested in reading yourself, you can still encourage others.
I came across a study some time ago showing that fathers’ reading, in particular, has a significant impact on the development of boys’ reading skills. In addition to reading to children (your own or others’), also pretend to read in front of them.
Yes, I’m serious.
If you don’t have the energy to read yourself, just boldly lie down on the living room sofa in front of the kids and pretend to read. About 3*60 minutes per week for, say, eight years, and who knows, maybe your offspring’s enthusiasm and skill for reading will eventually rise higher than it would have without your example. You can reinforce the practice by giving books as gifts and taking day trips to the library.
In my next posts, I’ll continue with, say, fact and fiction or whatever, but before that: talk about reading.
All kinds of discussion about reading and literature are welcome. Book tips, discussion about reading, book reviews, reading habits, favorite authors, forum members’ own writing hobbies, research on reading, and so on. Remember, however, that there is a separate thread for investment books.
Reading was useful, though; I was still a very fast reader and was able to get good grades in subjects like history and biology with very little effort or cramming.
to 
(on some level I was aware of it, of course). Both are esteemed classics.